L-Bead: A Leak Prevention System for Stucco Surfaces

Abstract

A stop bead for mounting along a frame/jamb of a window or door of a building to separate the frame or jamb from plaster/stucco material during application of the plaster or stucco material to the building comprises a first side end portion and a second side end portion, a base panel having a front face, a stop bead wall formed on the base panel and extending outwardly above the front face of the base panel, the stop bead wall having an engaging surface for engaging plaster or stucco and a frame/jamb facing surface, and a spacing member formed on the stop bead and extending outwardly away from the frame/jamb facing surface of the stop bead wall, the spacing member forming the leading edge of the first side portion of the stop bead and forming gap between the stop bead wall and the frame/jamb.

1 . A wall,
 the wall having a jamb formed therein, the jamb being part of a frame that frames an opening in the wall, and the jamb having a first surface facing the opening in the wall and a second surface facing away from the opening in the wall,   a stop bead mounted on the wall against the second surface of the jamb to separate the jamb from plaster or stucco material during application of the plaster or stucco material to the wall, the stop bead comprising a first side end portion and a second side end portion, the first side end portion having a leading edge engaging the second surface of the jamb when the stop bead is mounted adjacent to the jamb, a base panel having a front face, a stop bead wall formed on the base panel and extending outwardly above the front face of the base panel, the stop bead wall having a first side and a second side, the first side of the stop bead wall having an engaging surface for engaging plaster or stucco material, and the second side of the stop bead wall having a jamb facing surface that faces the second surface of the jamb when the stop bead is mounted adjacent to the jamb, and a spacing member formed on the stop bead and extending outwardly away from the jamb facing surface of the stop bead wall spacing the stop bead wall a predetermined distance from the second surface of the jamb when the stop bead is mounted adjacent to the jamb, the spacing member forming the leading edge of the first side end portion of the stop bead, the leading edge having a jamb engaging surface engaging the second surface of the jamb when the stop bead is mounted adjacent to the jamb, and the spacing member in conjunction with the jamb and the jamb facing surface of the stop bead wall forming a caulk receiving area above the spacing member and between the second surface of the jamb and the jamb facing surface of the stop bead wall for receiving caulk to seal between the stop bead and the jamb,   caulk positioned in the caulk receiving area and contacting the stop bead and the jamb to form a seal between the stop bead and the jamb, and   plaster or stucco material applied to the wall and separated from the jamb by the stop bead,   the spacing member comprising flexible material and being adapted to permit movement of the spacing member responsive to weather induced movement of the jamb after the stop bead is mounted adjacent to the jamb, and   the spacing member being resilient.   
     
     
         2 . The wall of  claim 1 ,
 the caulk positioned in the caulk receiving area contacting the second surface of the jamb and the jamb facing surface of the stop bead wall to form the seal between the stop bead and the jamb.   
     
     
         3 . The wall of  claim 1 ,
 the caulk positioned in the caulk receiving area contacting the jamb and the jamb facing surface of the stop bead wall to form a seal between the stop bead and the jamb.   
     
     
         4 . The wall of  claim 1 ,
 the spacing member having an upper end portion having an outer surface, and further including   bond-breaking tape mounted on the outer surface of the upper end portion of the spacing member for hindering formation of a bond between the caulk and the bond-breaking tape.   
     
     
         5 . The wall of  claim 1 ,
 the base panel having perforations formed therein.   
     
     
         6 . The wall of  claim 1 ,
 the stop bead having a first height at the spacing member, and   the stop bead having a second height at the base panel between the stop bead wall and the second side end portion,   the first height being higher than the second height.   
     
     
         7 . The wall of  claim 1 ,
 the stop bead having a height at the spacing member, and   the stop bead having a height at the stop bead wall,   the height of the stop bead at the stop bead wall being higher than the height of the stop bead at the spacing member.   
     
     
         8 . The wall of  claim 1 ,
 the stop bead having a first end portion and a second end portion, and   the spacing member being a strip formed on the stop bead adjacent to the jamb facing surface of the stop bead wall and extending between the first end portion and the second end portion.   
     
     
         9 . The wall of  claim 1 ,
 the stop bead wall having an upper end portion, and   the stop bead wall having a flange formed in its upper end portion to assist in containing plaster or stucco,   the flange having a first portion that extends laterally away from the stop bead wall and over the base panel and a second portion extending from the first portion downwardly toward the base panel.   
     
     
         10 . A stop bead for mounting on a wall having a jamb formed therein, the jamb being part of a frame that frames an opening in the wall, the jamb having a first surface facing the opening in the wall and a second surface facing away from the opening in the wall, to separate the jamb from plaster or stucco material during application of plaster or stucco material to the wall, comprising
 a first side end and a second side end, the first side end of the stop bead having a leading edge for engaging the second surface of the jamb when the stop bead is mounted adjacent to the jamb,   a base panel having a front face and a bottom face,   the bottom face of the base panel being adapted to be mounted against a wall,   the stop bead having a highest point and a lowest point, the bottom face of the base panel defining the lowest point of the stop bead,   a stop bead wall formed on the base panel and extending outwardly above the front face of the base panel, the stop bead wall having a first side and a second side, the first side of the stop bead wall having an engaging surface for engaging plaster or stucco material, and the second side of the stop bead wall having a jamb facing surface that faces the second surface of the jamb when the stop bead is mounted adjacent to the jamb, and   a spacing member formed on the stop bead and extending outwardly away from the jamb facing surface of the stop bead wall spacing the stop bead wall a predetermined distance from the second surface of the jamb when the stop bead is mounted adjacent to the jamb, the spacing member forming the leading edge of the first side end of the stop bead, the leading edge of the first side end of the stop bead defining a point beyond which no other portion of the stop bead extends laterally in a direction extending from the second side of the stop bead wall toward the first side end of the stop bead, the leading edge having a jamb engaging surface engaging the second surface of the jamb when the stop bead is mounted adjacent to the jamb, the spacing member having an upper end portion having an outer surface, the outer surface of the upper end portion of the spacing member being substantially higher than the front face of the base panel, the spacing member forming a caulk receiving area for receiving caulk to seal between the stop bead and the jamb, the caulk receiving area being located above the outer surface of the upper end portion of the spacing member, with the outer surface of the upper end portion of the spacing member defining a bottom end of the caulk receiving area, the caulk receiving area being sized to be substantially filled by a thin application of caulk to seal between the stop bead and the jamb, and the caulk receiving area being open from above to permit access to the caulk receiving area from above to permit caulk to be applied in the caulk receiving area from above to seal between the stop bead and the jamb, and   the spacing member comprising flexible material and being adapted to contract inwardly towards and expand outwardly from the stop bead wall responsive to weather induced movement of the jamb after the stop bead is mounted adjacent to the jamb, and   the spacing member being resilient.   
     
     
         11 . The stop bead of  claim 10 ,
 the stop bead having a first end portion and a second end portion, and   the spacing member being a strip formed on the stop bead adjacent to the jamb facing surface of the stop bead wall and extending between the first end portion and the second end portion.   
     
     
         12 . The stop bead of  claim 10 ,
 the stop bead wall having an upper end portion, and   the stop bead wall having a flange formed in its upper end portion to assist in containing plaster or stucco,   the flange having a first portion that extends laterally away from the stop bead wall and over the base panel and a second portion extending from the first portion downwardly toward the base panel.   
     
     
         13 . The stop bead of  claim 10 ,
 the base panel having perforations formed therein.   
     
     
         14 . The stop bead of  claim 10 ,
 the stop bead having a first height at the spacing member, and   the stop bead having a second height at the base panel between the stop bead wall and the second side end portion,   the first height being higher than the second height.   
     
     
         15 . The stop bead of  claim 10 ,
 the stop bead having a height at the spacing member, and   the stop bead having a height at the stop bead wall,   the height of the stop bead at the stop bead wall being higher than the height of the stop bead at the spacing member.   
     
     
         16 . A method of uniformly spacing a stop bead wall from a second surface of a jamb formed in a wall, the jamb being part of a frame that frames an opening in the wall, the jamb having a first surface facing the opening in the wall, and the jamb having the second surface facing away from the opening in the wall, for separating the jamb from plaster or stucco material being applied to the wall, and for sealing against leaks between the stop bead and the jamb, comprising the steps of
 providing a stop bead for mounting on a wall having a jamb formed therein, the jamb being part of a frame that frames an opening in the wall, the jamb having a first surface facing the opening in the wall and a second surface facing away from the opening in the wall, to separate the jamb from plaster or stucco material during application of plaster or stucco material to the wall, comprising a first side end and a second side end, the first side end of the stop bead having a leading edge for engaging the second surface of the jamb when the stop bead is mounted adjacent to the jamb, a base panel having a front face and a bottom face, the bottom face of the base panel being adapted to be mounted against a wall, the stop bead having a highest point and a lowest point, the bottom face of the base panel defining the lowest point of the stop bead, a stop bead wall formed on the base panel and extending outwardly above the front face of the base panel, the stop bead wall having a first side and a second side, the first side of the stop bead wall having an engaging surface for engaging plaster or stucco material, and the second side of the stop bead wall having a jamb facing surface that faces the second surface of the jamb when the stop bead is mounted adjacent to the jamb, and a spacing member formed on the stop bead and extending outwardly away from the jamb facing surface of the stop bead wall spacing the stop bead wall a predetermined distance from the second surface of the jamb when the stop bead is mounted adjacent to the jamb, the spacing member forming the leading edge of the first side end of the stop bead, the leading edge of the first side end of the stop bead defining a point beyond which no other portion of the stop bead extends laterally in a direction extending from the second side of the stop bead wall toward the first side end of the stop bead, the leading edge having a jamb engaging surface engaging the second surface of the jamb when the stop bead is mounted adjacent to the jamb, the spacing member having an upper end portion having an outer surface, the outer surface of the upper end portion of the spacing member being substantially higher than the front face of the base panel, the spacing member forming a caulk receiving area for receiving caulk to seal between the stop bead and the jamb, the caulk receiving area being located above the outer surface of the upper end portion of the spacing member, with the outer surface of the upper end portion of the spacing member defining a bottom end of the caulk receiving area, the caulk receiving area being sized to be substantially filled by a thin application of caulk to seal between the stop bead and the jamb, and the caulk receiving area being open from above to permit access to the caulk receiving area from above to permit caulk to be applied in the caulk receiving area from above to seal between the stop bead and the jamb, and the spacing member comprising flexible material and being adapted to contract inwardly towards and expand outwardly from the stop bead wall responsive to weather induced movement of the jamb after the stop bead is mounted adjacent to the jamb, and the spacing member being resilient,   mounting the stop bead adjacent to the jamb such that the spacing member abuts the second surface of the jamb to create a straight and uniform gap between the jamb facing surface of the stop bead wall and the jamb, thereby uniformly spacing the stop bead wall from the second surface of the jamb and forming the caulk receiving area for receiving caulk to seal between the stop bead and the jamb,   sealing against leaks between the stop bead and the jamb by applying caulk to and extending between the stop bead and the jamb in the caulk receiving area to form a seal between the stop bead and the jamb, and   applying plaster or stucco material to the wall and keeping the plaster or stucco material separated from the jamb by the stop bead wall.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 ,
 the caulk positioned in the caulk receiving area contacting the second surface of the jamb and the jamb facing surface of the stop bead wall to form the seal between the stop bead and the jamb.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 ,
 the caulk positioned in the caulk receiving area contacting the jamb and the jamb facing surface of the stop bead wall to form a seal between the stop bead and the jamb.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 ,
 the spacing member having an upper end portion having an outer surface, and further including   bond-breaking tape mounted on the outer surface of the upper end portion of the spacing member for hindering formation of a bond between the caulk and the bond-breaking tape.